NAFTA Freight Flow Values Rebound in February

Friday, April 29, 2016

Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg Trade Report

The value of monthly freight flows between the U.S. and its NAFTA partners rose 2.0 percent from January to February to $84.0 billion, according to statistics released April 28 by the Department of Transportation. However, the value of NAFTA freight flows was down 2.0 percent from a year earlier.

Month-to-Month Changes. Percentage changes in the value of monthly U.S. freight flows by mode of transportation from January to February include the following.

Total

Canada

Mexico

Imports

Exports

Imports

Exports

Imports

Exports

Truck

+3.2

+3.6

+3.1

+3.3

+3.3

+3.8

Rail

+2.4

+9.4

+0.5

+19.8

+5.0

+0.8

Vessel

-14.4

-21.0

-28.4

-26.2

-2.3

-18.9

Air

+11.3

+3.1

+12.0

+10.4

+10.0

-7.9

Pipeline

-16.2

-6.7

-16.2

-6.7

-14.3

-6.7

Year-on-Year Changes. The value of total U.S. trade with Canada was down 5.5 percent from February 2015 even though the truck and rail modes carried a higher value of freight. The value of U.S. trade with Mexico gained 2.0 percent as the truck, rail and air modes carried higher values of freight than a year earlier. Vehicles and parts retained their spot as the top commodity category for all modes transported between the U.S. and Canada and took the top spot from electrical machinery in U.S.-Mexico trade.

Percentage changes in the value of monthly U.S. freight flows by mode of transportation from February 2015 to February 2016 include the following.